Physician administrators and the reorganization of federally sponsored treatment research for AIDS

Scholars of modern medicine are concerned with the implications of the movement of physicians into “elite” administrative positions in medical practice settings. To date, empirical studies of physician administrators have focused on their response to disputes that arise between medical and non-medical groups. This paper uses the case of federally funded treatment research for AIDS in the United States to explore the actions of physician administrators and the implications of those actions, in resolving intra-professional conflict. The findings suggest that the actions of elite physician administrators sometimes serve to enhance the fortunes of medical professionals. The findings further suggest that the actions of elite physician administrators sometimes serve to reproduce and affirm professional status distinctions that exist within the broader context of health delivery.